I Am Who I Am Because of My Parents | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

I Am Who I Am Because of My Parents

They Were Always My Biggest Supporters

3.2k
I Am Who I Am Because of My Parents
Debbie Ritner

When I was born, my parents had one thought: let her be whoever she wants to be. I don’t think they could have ever given me a better gift.

My parents weren’t nervous when I wanted to play t-ball instead of softball. They weren’t afraid when I always wanted the blue scissors in preschool or when I wore jeans and a Yankees jersey to elementary school whenever I could. Even later in life, when I was in high school and still played with the boys in rec baseball, my parents always had my back.

They knew that I wasn’t a typical girl; when I was young, all of my girl friends were worried about what outfit matched their purses. I was simply consumed with whom I would pick first to be on my kickball team that day. I was a tomboy from the start, and my parents supported every decision I made along the way.

I guess my message here is to simply let your children be who they want to be. When I was a kid, I was very opinionated and wasn’t afraid of letting people know that I wasn’t a girl that you could mess with. Kids can be really mean, and even though I tried to have a tough exterior, sometimes they would make fun of the way I dressed or how I acted and it really got to me. Whenever I started to doubt who I was, my parents were always right there to remind me.

I am who I am today because of the love and support that my parents gave me as a child. I wouldn’t be nearly as comfortable in my own skin had it not been for them reminding me that it was okay to be who I was. It was okay to wear work boots with my dress. It was okay to play kickball at recess instead of hand games. It was okay to be a tomboy.

I’m still a tomboy at heart, there’s no doubt about that. But I have become more mature with my age and no longer feel the need to scream to the world that I like baseball and working out when all of my friends like makeup and clothes. I dress like a girl and act like a girl, because I am indeed a girl. However, due to the love and support that my parents have shown me for all twenty years of my life, I am a girl who is not afraid of the world. I am a girl who is comfortable in her own skin. I am a girl who is confident and happy with whom she has become, and I don’t think I can ever begin to thank my parents enough for that. My disposition and personality stem from my parents, as everyone says I’m exactly like them. If I could have handpicked who my parents would be, I’d pick Debbie and Joel every time. Honestly, I don’t think I could ever be luckier if I tried.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
female tv characters
We Heart It

Over the past decade, television has undergone a very crucial transition: the incorporation of female lead characters. Since it's a known fact that girls actually do run the world (Beyonce said so herself), it's time for the leading ladies of the small screen to get some credit. Without these characters, women would still be sitting in the background of our favorite shows. These women are not only trailblazers for female empowerment, but role models for women worldwide. With that, here are 15 of the smartest, sassiest ladies gracing our screens that remind us that women do, indeed, rule:

Keep Reading...Show less
New Now Next
New Now Next

If you are like me, you have an interesting personality. Basically, you love to be sassy and snarky, gossip, and act like a total bitch (not really), but deep down, you are actually a very genuinely nice person. The idea of actually hurting someone truly makes you feel bad, and you probably have never actually hurt someone’s feelings because your kindness always shines through, even if you do not want it to. Not sure exactly what I would call this type of personality, but if you identify with it, here are some feelings you can undoubtedly relate to.

Keep Reading...Show less
Blair Waldorf
Cub Magazine

We all have a little bit of Blair Waldorf inside of us. You may not realize it, but you're probably guilty of at least nine out of ten of these listed points. So why don't we reminisce on the famous Blair Waldorf moments where we realized we were actually her at certain times through the series?

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Confessions Of A Sleep-A-Holic

If your plans get cancelled, there is a 99.9% percent chance you are sleeping.

1594
woman lying on bed
Photo by Kinga Howard on Unsplash

1. What are some of your hobbies? Does sleep count?

I'm so good at sleeping I can do it with my eyes closed

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

7 Reasons To Watch One Tree Hill

"There is only one tree hill, Jaime Scott."

1709
one tree hill
Wikipedia Commons

If you need a new series to watch, I recommend One Tree Hill. I watched this series three times now and it only keeps getting better. If you need any more reasons beside the fact that all of the seasons are on Netflix for your binge-watching pleasure, here are seven more reasons to watch it.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments